Of Waltz And Sapphires
by Honeydukes 11
Summary: A short retelling of the episode 'Waltz Of Transience'.


**Disclaimer : I do not own the story or the characters of the anime 'Dance With Devils' despite the deep inclination of mine to change the fact.**

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"Careful or you might drill a hole in his head."

Lindo inhaled sharply and turned to look at the girl with dirty blonde hair standing beside him. She stared back with a glint of amusement in her emerald eyes, but the worry in them was just as evident as in his own.

He sighed and looked back at the couple dancing before them - lost as they seemed to be in their own musings as they swayed to the tinkling music in the middle of the golden grandeur of the hall. The bloody devil!

"I should be so lucky", he replied, gritting his teeth as the bastard drew Ritsuka a tad closer. For all the anger rushing up to Lindo's face, the devil might as well have snogged her right there in front of the swooning crowd. A flicker of movement caught his eye, and his gaze fell upon the scowling trio standing at a corner of the room, glaring daggers at the couple with just as much fervour as the redhead.

Azuna followed his gaze and her hand latched onto the cross round her neck instinctively. Just a few more minutes, yes. She'd allow just a few more minutes of dawdling before calling Ritsuka's attention to the time and suggesting leaving. God knew the danger her friend was in while in the vicinity of the dastardly devils.

Her musings were cut short as warmth lapped at her hand and she looked down to see another hand clasping hers. All thoughts flew out of her mind - all save for the one of a certain redhead now weaving his way through the crowds, pulling her behind him without preamble. She must have looked a right sight with her lips parted in a show of dumbfounded gaping, but before she could think on it, they'd reached a relative clearing beside a scant few couples swaying round them.

Lindo turned sharply and placed his free hand lightly at the side of her waist before pulling her into a faint waltz, her hand maneuvering itself absently on to his shoulder. His azure eyes bore into hers and she almost missed the words that he uttered next.

"He'd better not try anything funny with her what with me standing this close", muttered Lindo, staring discretely at something to her left at regular intervals. "Much better than gawking from afar, wouldn't you say?"

The light gasp that left her lips was lost on him as he craned his neck slightly for a better view of the 'King' and 'Queen' of the night. She shook her head as inconspicuously as she could muster but she needn't have tried for his eyes were now latched on to his quarry completely and she absently wondered if he would have minded if it had been anyone else there in his arms. As ice sliced through her heart in a momentary lapse in the absolute control of her emotions that she'd forged for as long as she could dare to remember, she wondered if he had ever really looked at her with a bit more recognition than a mere fellow exorcist to help protect his sister.

With widened eyes, she chided herself at the errant thoughts running through her head. This was no time to give in to the flimsy notions of unrequited feelings when her friend's life lied in jeopardy. The memory of Ritsuka's tear-stained face at the revelation of Azuna's real identity, the look of absolute betrayal in her golden eyes wrenched at her heart and Azuna felt her own emerald eyes stinging.

Her grip on Lindo's hand tightened involuntarily and the sudden pressure distracted him enough to look back at her. The brief irritation that stuttered in his gaze was snuffed out as a wave of concern took over him at the sight of her trembling lips and glassy eyes with a liquid sheen over them. She avoided his stare as he tried to catch her gaze with a tilt of his head until he had to lift his hand to her chin so as to coax her to look at him.

She couldn't help the gasp that left her at the sudden contact and she could feel heat rising up her neck as she caught a whiff of his musky scent - wood and cologne with a tinge of citrus - and she realised how close together they were standing.

His unspoken query swam in his eyes and she gave a tremulous smile speaking of a reassurance that she did not feel because she wondered if she was strong enough to protect Ritsuka - because she'd spent too many days in isolation as her best friend - her only friend - kept secrets from her - because she knew she was keeping just as many things from the said redhead, if not more - because she was scared she'd lose the friend she found in a clumsy girl who was just too stubborn for her own good -

She surprised herself just as much as she did Lindo when Azuna closed the remaining distance between them and took him in a tight embrace, her face buried in the shoulder of his tuxedo and fingers skimming faintly over the fine hair falling down the nape of his neck as her hands rested on his back.

Because she was too tired of standing by and ignoring the tumult of feelings raging inside her every time she found herself lost in the pool of his azure eyes - the tickling sensation running down to her toes every time his laughter reached her ears - the warmth that spread through her being every time compassion brimmed in his eyes - the smile that stretched her lips wide at the fierce protectiveness he displayed for his sister.

She felt him stiffen and tears blinded her as lights of gold and white danced before her in a blurry picture. He loved another, she knew. And try as she might, she could not resent it for she too harboured affection for the said girl. It was hard not to love Ritsuka - the sweet, bubbly girl who held a courage at par with the likeness of the strongest of warriors in the way of the fierce loyalty that she felt for her friends and family. It was easy to love her.

Just as she made to loosen her grip on Lindo and leave to gather as much of the vestiges of her dignity that she could muster before returning to her watchful post, she felt him relax with arms moving to enclose her as the palms of his hands rested, splayed on her back. He swayed them lightly but no music reached Azuna's ears past the static that seemed to ring in the air all of a sudden.

"Are you okay, Azuna-san?" asked Lindo, his breath whispering against the bare skin of her neck and he missed the shiver that ran down her spine. "I was too caught up in the moment to properly ask you for a dance."

He chuckled softly and leaned back to give her an ostentatious bow, all the while gazing up at her steadily and clutching her hand. A small smile found its way to her lips and she choked back a wet laugh as she blinked rapidly to rid her eyes of any traitorous tears.

"May I have the honour of a dance with your enchanting self, please?" said Lindo, still bent and looking up at her expectantly and though she saw a jesting glint in his eyes, she liked to think he meant it as he gazed at none but her in a room full of people. She'd allow herself this. She'd allow herself this one moment where he might see her as someone special, never mind if this be but a lone occurrence. Yes, she'd bask in it for the few minutes that she can.

She nodded because she was hard put to try and speak without sobbing outright and he answered her smile with a grin of his own and swept her in his arms with more grace than the awkward staccato of their prior attempt. He might have said more than a soft 'You look beautiful, by the way' if he'd known of the subsequent happenings that would come to haunt them in the span of a couple of hours. As it happened, though, the pair contented themselves with a quiet dance and no more.

And while that did little to stop his gaze from roaming round the hall from time to time, she fancied she would stretch this night to infinity if she could if only to have his azure eyes fall upon hers once again.

-end-


End file.
